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Commentary

“When men wear their Christmas neckties, business conditions are really bad.”That comment was made many years ago and in this current age has little impact on business conditions or any other conditions as far as that is concerned because few men wear neckties anymore. In fact my recent survey at our church I found only two men wearing neckties, and one of them was the minister. That now brings us to the problem in our basement where a drawer holds nearly 100 ties that once strangled my neck through past decades of formal business dress.I made the remark to the betterhalf we should get rid of those ties because with today’s casual dress code and grandkids that are too old to costume for Halloween, it means those ties will become good feed for the moths.

It is with a full and hopeful heart that we hit the pause button this week, gathering with family and friends to count our many blessings.Thanksgiving is and always has been one of my favorite holidays, not so much for what’s on the menu, but more for the simplicity of the message.Give thanks!It’s such a simple gesture, yet so meaningful when offered in humble sincerity. I know I don’t pause nearly enough to tell those around me how much I appreciate who they are and what they do, so the late November reminder comes as a blessing.We have so much to be thankful for here in Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska and the good ol’ US of A. It’s easy to lose sight of that fact with the deluge of negative and instant information in today’s world, but it is an indisputable truth.

“On Thanksgiving Day all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment – halftime.”– Author Unknown.While we may think this thought of Thanksgiving dinner is amusing, we would hope we give a deeper consideration of what Thanksgiving is all about.I found an article written again from an unknown author who wrote in 1949 a Thanksgiving message that is pertinent even today and bears repeating.“The spirit of true thanksgiving was defined by Carlyle when he said that a man should put himself at zero, and then reckon every degree ascending from that point as an occasion of thanks. That’s what these rugged forefathers of ours did. But it is not always what we today, who in America are the beneficiaries of all of history’s greatest bounties, do. Too often we are apt to complain, to look upon the dark side, to magnify the evils instead of the goodness with which we live.

It starts earlier every year!The deluge of holiday promotions and retail advertising geared toward Christmas shoppers is in full force now, a full five weeks before friends and families begin gathering around the tree to exchange gifts and well wishes. It used to be that turkey with all the trimmings were served before that process took center stage, but those days are long, long gone.Now Black Friday rings the bell as the official start of the Christmas shopping season, followed by the online Cyber Monday phenomenon. Indeed, the retail landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.This year the starting line is being pushed back further still. At least one major big box retailer is trying to beat the pack with pre-pre-pre-Black Friday specials, which of course means that all the others will follow suit.

This past week has served notice cold weather is more than just around the corner. The prior week the betterhalf and I took advantage of a spring-like day to do some outside work getting pre-cold weather chores done.Actually, our earlier efforts probably drew some questions from our neighbors about the sanity of this couple and if the neighbors didn’t question our sanity, our outside actions had to bring some amusing entertainment to the old neighborhood.While I was busy raking up leaves the betterhalf engaged in her annual endeavor of stringing her Christmas lights on a tree in the front yard and one in the back. I became aware of the light situation when she passed through the family room lugging boxes of Christmas lights just as I settled in my easy chair to take in a televised football game. Her movement was all a conspiracy she has used before to cast that guilt feeling on me.

Planning efforts to renovate and expand the Hamilton County Law Enforcement Center ended this time around in unanimous frustration.Law enforcement officials, especially, have to be scratching their heads, wondering how such a needed project ran off the rails. Anyone who steps foot in the existing facility, built in 1972 to accommodate one-fifth of the people it houses today, will conclude that changes need to be made, sooner than later. The existing facility is terribly overcrowded, inefficient and not as secure as it needs to be in today’s world.County commissioners are also understandably frustrated, though their angst is tied more to a horribly misleading planning/bidding process than the need for the project itself. In the end, it wasn’t totally surprising that the county board rejected the bids on a 3-2 vote.

I assume nearly everyone wishes he could go back to his childhood years if it was only for just a minute or two. That wish crossed my mind after I read where researchers have cast doubt on needing that extra glass of milk.A new report basically came to the assumption that if you are drinking milk to prevent bone fractures and to boost your overall health you may be gulping from the wrong glass. After tracking more than 100,000 Swedish men and women for up to 23 years, the report’s authors saw no link between milk consumption and fracture risk.During my younger years it was pretty much a daily one-way conversation at breakfast, dinner and supper when my mom would address me, “Drink the rest of your milk before leaving the table.”Oh, how I wish I could look at my mom today and say, “See Mom, all that milk drinking was not really needed!” Of course even if I could come face-to-face with my mom today I would never have the courage to tell her she was wrong.

How do you feel about your health care, America?Understanding our nation’s new health care system is a indeed a challenge these days, no matter what your perspective. The health care landscape has changed dramatically with implementation of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.Much has been said and written since this historic legislation was passed in 2010, though the actual result of how it is impacting families and businesses is still a work in progress. This massive reform came too fast for Congress to digest the details, let alone anxious Americans who want and need to know how their families will be covered in the years ahead.

Reading is a natural part of my life and it’s even more natural I would select a spouse who also liked to read. I must be honest, reading wasn’t among the criteria list when I chose to make her my wife.My betterhalf certainly is one of the Aurora Library’s better customers while I manage to read a couple of daily newspapers, some weekly newspapers and a book or two as well.The betterhalf, I would guess, consistently checks out a couple of books at a time and can still manage to watch her favorite TV programs, cook a couple a meals daily, clean house and still not stay up half a night reading a great mystery. Talk about “mystery,” it’s puzzling to me how she continues to churn through book after book.A few weeks ago the betterhalf left me wondering if she hadn’t hit her reading capacity.

The time has come to fill in the oval and let your voice be heard.Election day is Tuesday in Hamilton County and throughout Nebraska, though many area voters may have already done their civic duty with early voting and mail-in ballots now a popular option. Regardless of how or when you vote, the most important thing is that you do cast your ballot, participating in an election process that lies at the core of our democratic form of government.There are some interesting races in the 2014 General Election, though it’s not nearly as full a slate as a presidential election year. The last two months have been relatively void of the negative campaign ads and media blitz we have become accustomed to, which was a refreshing change.